Los Templados 12 are still working toward making their group official.
Photograph: Luis Miguel Echegaray

History will be made this Sunday as New York City FC host the New York Red Bulls in the first ever Hudson river derby at Yankee Stadium. As both teams prepare for another impassioned encounter, one particular fan group is eagerly awaiting this memorable day.

The beat of the drum can be heard as soon as you step down from the elevated subway stop at Yankee Stadium. As you make your way toward the ground, the sound intensifies. Around here, the sea of blue shirts overwhelms any other piece of clothing, and men with drums warm up the small crowd. This pre-game soccer ritual is similar to something you might see in Brazil or Argentina. It could even be considered a smaller version of a Barra Brava. But this isn’t South America.

This is New York.

Like any passionate Colombian, Jonathan Salas has soccer in his blood, so when NYCFC announced their arrival to the MLS, the MTA worker from Ozone Park, Queens, was all in.

“I was lucky enough to know about the passion for soccer with my Colombian team, Deportivo Cali,” says Salas, who sees that the club can do great things to promote the beautiful game to fans from all over New York. “We also want to lay the foundation for bigger things in the future.”

It all began on the first home game of the season, on March 15. The Third Rail, the official supporters’ group for NYCFC, had already confirmed 2,000 members before a ball had even been kicked and after the match, the franchise confirmed more than 43,000 people attended the opening game. The fan base was clearly present in New York.

Salas, nicknamed “Joty”, was at the game just as a regular fan. “I went with my dad and cousin. We didn’t know what to expect. It was a great atmosphere.” As the game was winding down, Salas received a text from his friend. “He’s telling me that our fans are so quiet and we don’t make any noise,” he said. “We were winning 2-0, on our first ever home-game and it was so quiet. I was getting so much heat!”

That’s when Salas decided that the team needed more than just attendance. They needed noise. They needed passion.

After the game, Jonathan got together with some friends in a bar in Queens, and after much talk and banter they decided to form a drum band called Los Templados 12. The message was simple: bring the NYCFC fans together by showing passion and unity. Other members such as Jorge Bermudez, 30, and Nelson Caicedo, 24, both from Ecuador, wanted to give the group a South American feel, but with the idea that everyone was welcome. After a few weeks, nine founding members with seven drums established the group.

Despite the fact that the group is growing in recognition, the members of Los Templados 12 are still working toward making their group official. This requires communication between the group, The Third Rail and the club itself. Salas is confident that all of them can work together as in the end the outcome can only help the team’s brand. “We have been talking to the teams and we’re hoping to be legitimate in the near future,” he said. “This way we can expand and promote what we are doing.”

There is no doubt that soccer in the city is growing. Last month, the first ever New York derby between the Red Bulls and NYCFC showed just how much the game has expanded. More than 1,500 fans traveled to Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on Mother’s Day, and the number of commuters heading to the game was so large that many of them were kicked off the first train at Port Authority due to excessive noise. In the end, the fans met with the transit authority and everyone got to the stadium safely.

These fans, whether they are members of a group or not, whether they support NYCFC, New York Red Bulls or the New York Cosmos, demonstrate the encouraging sign that not only is soccer growing, but it has also created an opportunity for people to have their voices heard.

There are many reasons for supporting a team and all of them have very little to do with winning. A fan’s relationship with his or her club is solidified by something bigger than silverware or statistics.

People follow because they want to belong and they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

In the meantime, the members of Los Templados 12 will keep beating their drums, chanting “Vamos, celeste!” and joining forces with any NYCFC fan who wants nothing more than seeing their beloved team succeed, especially this Sunday.